PLAYROUND COURSE GUIDE

How to Play Lookout Mountain Golf Club

Course strategy, tee-specific yardages and a hole-by-hole game plan for Lookout Mountain Golf Club in Phoenix, AZ.

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Lookout Mountain Golf Club golf course

Lookout Mountain Golf Club

Phoenix, AZ
Blue tees · 6,515 yards
COURSE OVERVIEW

About Lookout Mountain Golf Club

Lookout Mountain Golf Club at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, is an 18-hole desert layout designed by Bill Johnston and Forrest Richardson. Built along the rugged foothills of the North Phoenix Mountains, the course transitions from flat, forgiving valley holes (1–6 and 15–18) into dramatic mountain canyon terrain (7–14) featuring extreme elevation drops, desert arroyos, and panoramic vistas of Piestewa Peak.

COURSE STRATEGY

How to play Lookout Mountain Golf Club

Off the tee

The course presents two distinct personalities off the tee: the opening six and closing four holes feature broad resort fairways with gentle terrain, while the middle mountain stretch (holes 7 through 14) demands target accuracy to avoid surrounding desert washes and severe fairway tilts.

Elevation & terrain

Dramatic elevation changes dictate club selection through the middle holes, headlined by the signature 10th hole's 175-foot drop. Downhill tee shots increase carry distance significantly, but elevated greens on holes 7 and 12 require extra club on approach.

Approach play

Approaches into the mountain greens demand precise distance control because green complexes on holes 9, 14, and 16 feature severe slopes and steep fall-offs where missed greens lead to tough recovery chips or lost balls in native desert.

Around the greens

Greens are generally large Bermuda surfaces with distinct slopes, often running back-to-front or crowned on all sides. Missing above the hole on back-to-front slopes (such as hole 9) makes two-potting or chipping back down the slope extremely difficult.

Best way to play it

Score early on the flat valley holes, play conservatively through the tight mountain section by prioritizing fairway placement over distance, and manage approach distances carefully to leave uphill putts on sloped greens.

Key takeaways

  • Divided into two distinct styles: flat valley holes (1-6, 15-18) and dramatic mountain canyon target golf (7-14).
  • Signature 10th hole features the highest elevated tee box in Phoenix with a 175-foot drop to the fairway.
  • Severe back-to-front green slopes require keeping approach shots below the flagstick, particularly on hole 9.
  • Desert arroyos and forced carries dissect fairways on holes 12, 13, and 14, requiring smart layup decisions.
  • Finishing 18th hole demands a precise wedge into a peninsula green surrounded by water on three sides.
YOUR GAME PLAN

Hole-by-hole game plan

Hole
Par
Yards
HCP
Strategy
1
4
351
11
Favor the center of the generous fairway off the tee to establish a comfortable wedge or short-iron approach into a accessible green complex.
Your 240 yd driver · ~111 yards remaining by raw distance.
2
5
475
9
Drive down the middle of the spacious fairway to setup a clear option to advance the ball near the green on your second shot.
Your 240 yd driver · ~235 yards remaining by raw distance. The green may be within range for your second shot depending on lie and conditions.
3
3
193
15
Select enough club to carry the front-guarding bunkers and reach the middle of the putting surface.
4
4
461
3
Take a aggressive line down the center of the fairway to minimize remaining distance into a large green complex.
Your 240 yd driver · ~221 yards remaining by raw distance.
5
5
515
7
Aim for the wide fairway corridor to setup an easy second shot layup short of green-guarding bunkers.
Your 240 yd driver · ~275 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
6
3
238
13
Hit a solid long-iron toward the center of the green, ignoring pin locations near guarding sand traps.
7
5
527
1
Drive over the fairway crest to get maximum roll; tee shots reaching the downhill crest leave a manageable mid-iron uphill approach, while short drives leave a long uphill shot where misses short-right find sand.
Your 240 yd driver · ~287 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
8
4
355
5
Prioritize tee shot precision over distance to avoid out-of-bounds right and left fairway bunkering, leaving a mid-iron approach to an elevated target.
Your 240 yd driver · ~115 yards remaining by raw distance.
9
3
115
17
Keep your tee shot strictly below the cup; finishing above the flagstick makes two-putts or chips extremely difficult and prone to rolling off the front edge.
10
4
419
4
Aim for the left-center of the fairway to allow for left-to-right fairway slope and ball drift during the long descent, setting up an approach to an elevated green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~179 yards remaining by raw distance.
11
3
185
12
Aim squarely for the center of the putting surface, as there is only about 15 yards of total landing area before desert penalty terrain takes over on all sides.
12
4
417
2
Lay up short of the 150-yard mark off the tee; driving right of the trees runs through the fairway into desert, while straying left creates a blind approach over trees to an elevated green with no room behind.
Your 240 yd driver · ~177 yards remaining by raw distance.
13
4
353
18
Lay up short of the arroyo around the 110-yard zone to leave a clean, simple uphill wedge approach.
Your 240 yd driver · ~113 yards remaining by raw distance.
14
4
344
8
Target the fairway landing area either right or left of the arroyo to establish a clear angle, then hit to the middle of the green because long approaches drop off steeply on all sides.
Your 240 yd driver · ~104 yards remaining by raw distance.
15
5
492
16
Take advantage of the downhill slope with a solid drive to setup a reachable second shot or short layup into a receptive green.
Your 240 yd driver · ~252 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.
16
3
182
6
Account for wind exposure and land your shot on the middle of the green, as missed shots roll off the sloping surrounds and leave tough recovery chips.
17
4
381
14
Find the middle of the broad fairway on your drive, then target the center of the kidney-shaped green guarded by bunkers on three sides.
Your 240 yd driver · ~141 yards remaining by raw distance.
18
5
512
10
Position your second shot carefully along the S-curve fairway to leave a short wedge approach over water into a shallow green surrounded by water on three sides.
Your 240 yd driver · ~272 yards remaining by raw distance. Plan this primarily as a three-shot hole.

Course information and strategy are provided for planning purposes. Yardages, course setup, hazards and playing conditions can change. Always confirm current course information before your round.